The Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) has scrapped license of eight manpower companies after they were found breaching laws while sending Nepali youths to overseas job destinations.

Krishna Hari Puskar, the newly appointed director general of DoFE, on Monday scrapped the license of Mahakali Overseas, Galibhent Manpower, Resunga International, Astha International, Worldwide Asian Manpower, Tegent International Recruitment, Opportunity Manpower, and Thanks International. All of them are based in Kathmandu Valley. 

Talking to Republica, Puskar said the department will now act tough against manpower companies involved in unlawful activities like producing fake documents to seek work permit. “We are closely studying files forwarded by manpower agencies for work permits at DoFE as we have come to know that some 60 percent of documents submitted for work permits are not genuine,” Puskar, who assumed office at DoFE on February 12, said. 

“We are also keeping an eye on manpower agencies to sort out the problematic ones.” Officials have termed the action taken by DoFE as ´stern´. “License of many companies has been suspended in the past. Scrapping of license is the stern action taken by DoFE,” they said.

Puskar said some other companies would lose their licenses very soon.At present, there are 755 registered manpower agencies in the country.
DoFE has begun corresponding with different government agencies and even the employer companies based in foreign countries to verify the documents submitted by manpower companies.

After assuming office, Puskar has expedited works to improve service delivery at the department which is frequented by hundreds of service seekers every day. He has opened a separate unit to issue work permits for Malaysia at Babarmahal.

DoFE has also suspended five training institutes which were found providing certificates to trainees without running any class at all for two weeks. While Bindhyabasini International Institute, Kamik Training Center and Lumbini Multiple Prashikshan Kendra have been suspended for a month, Anushree Multi-Purpose Training Center and M S Training Nepal have been suspended for a fortnight.

Badri Kumar Karki, spokesperson of DoFE, said the training institutes were suspended for a fortnight after they were found not running 10-hour training class that covers technical know-how of the jobs that trainees are going for, laws of the concerned country, and salary they are supposed to receive, among others.
Officials say the suspension will be lifted only after the promoters of the institutes furnish proof to the department that they are running full classes and that certificates would be issued only to those who attend the classes. Institutes that are suspended for the third time automatically lose their license.

Published on: 20 February 2014 | Republica